Teleconnected SARgassum risks across the Atlantic: building capacity for TRansformational Adaptation in the Caribbean and West Africa (SARTRAC)
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Southampton
Department Name: Sch of Geography & Environmental Sci
Abstract
In most small islands and many coastal developing countries, the majority of settlements, government, transport and communications infrastructure are located in the coastal zone. Access to the coast allows access to natural resources (e.g. fisheries), transport, recreation, as well as supporting tourism - on which many low and middle income countries depend for employment and income. In the Caribbean, climate change is bringing sea level rise (affecting coastal erosion), warmer seas (associated with coral bleaching), decreased rainfall (affecting agriculture) and the risk of stronger tropical cyclones, for which islands are preparing. These are the known risks and disaster risk reduction measures are often quite advanced e.g. tropical cyclone early warning systems and coastal erosion management. New risks, which have the potential to create significant economic and social damage are only now starting to be documented. These risks are far less well understood, and include large ocean waves from distant sources, transcontinental dust clouds, invasive species moving across boundaries, and the spread of aquatic pathogens. In this latter group is the emergence of very large quantities of Sargassum seaweed inundating beaches of the Caribbean, Central America, and West of Africa since 2011. Such massive and recurrent inundation events are known as golden seaweed tides, with seaweed piling up to 3m high on beaches. The Sargassum decays shortly after reaching the shallow areas and beaches. In the decay process Sargassum consumes oxygen out of the surrounding water, killing fish and other marine creatures, and releasing hydrogen sulphide gas - causing human skin irritation and respiratory problems, and an unpleasant smell. The Sargassum stranding events are unpredictable, but can have major social, economic and environmental impacts.
In the SARTRAC project, UK researchers are teaming up with partners in the Caribbean and West Africa to build capacity within the Caribbean and West Africa to answer a number of questions: why did the Sargassum start to mass produce in 2011? Are the large quantities of Sargassum in Spring/Summer, the new 'normal' for the Caribbean and West Africa? What are the trend projections for the Caribbean and West Africa? Can Sargassum stranding predictions be delivered at the local scale and in the short-term? What are the long-term economic and social impacts of the Sargassum strandings? What are the best methods for managing the strandings and are there opportunities for equitable resilience from re-use of the seaweed? Why are communities not already re-using the seaweed - what barriers exist? What are the success stories about re-use, how did they occur, and how transferable are the lessons learned? What are the opportunities for and barriers to regional governance of the Sargassum issue?
SARTRAC will address these questions using a multi-disciplinary capacity-building approach to research on: drivers of the growth of the seaweed; risk communications; monitoring and early warning systems; opportunities for re-use of the seaweed; and the opportunities for affected nations to work together to develop regional responses and trans-regional support. By combining knowledge and skills from a range of disciplines and organisations, we can approach these questions from multiple perspectives to gain a more complete understanding. Our approach also encourages the view that opportunities exist from seeing Sargassum as a newly available economic resource. All research will be delivered through a transformational adaptation lens driven by the project PI, i.e. all researchers will be tasked with ensuring that all outputs contribute to the equitable resilience of the poorest groups affected by the Sargassum stranding events.
In the SARTRAC project, UK researchers are teaming up with partners in the Caribbean and West Africa to build capacity within the Caribbean and West Africa to answer a number of questions: why did the Sargassum start to mass produce in 2011? Are the large quantities of Sargassum in Spring/Summer, the new 'normal' for the Caribbean and West Africa? What are the trend projections for the Caribbean and West Africa? Can Sargassum stranding predictions be delivered at the local scale and in the short-term? What are the long-term economic and social impacts of the Sargassum strandings? What are the best methods for managing the strandings and are there opportunities for equitable resilience from re-use of the seaweed? Why are communities not already re-using the seaweed - what barriers exist? What are the success stories about re-use, how did they occur, and how transferable are the lessons learned? What are the opportunities for and barriers to regional governance of the Sargassum issue?
SARTRAC will address these questions using a multi-disciplinary capacity-building approach to research on: drivers of the growth of the seaweed; risk communications; monitoring and early warning systems; opportunities for re-use of the seaweed; and the opportunities for affected nations to work together to develop regional responses and trans-regional support. By combining knowledge and skills from a range of disciplines and organisations, we can approach these questions from multiple perspectives to gain a more complete understanding. Our approach also encourages the view that opportunities exist from seeing Sargassum as a newly available economic resource. All research will be delivered through a transformational adaptation lens driven by the project PI, i.e. all researchers will be tasked with ensuring that all outputs contribute to the equitable resilience of the poorest groups affected by the Sargassum stranding events.
Planned Impact
We identify six groups of beneficiaries:
1) Local and national government agencies involved in managing the impacts Sargassum strandings can improve the wellbeing and development opportunities for coastal residents. In Jamaica these agencies are: National Environment Planning Agency, Jamaica; the Planning Institute of Jamaica; government agencies in each of the other English-speaking Caribbean DAC countries. In Ghana: the Ghanaian Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (MOFAD); the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) in Ghana.
2) Marginalized and poor coastal communities affected by Sargassum strandings throughout DAC countries of the Caribbean, Central America and West Africa currently struggle to deal with the Sargassum events, suffering health, livelihood and access impacts.
3) National and regional agencies in Caribbean DAC countries and engaged in monitoring and early warning schemes (MEWS) for Sargassum beaching, such as those established in Guadeloupe and Puerto Rico. SARTRAC will share with MEWS agencies in selected Caribbean DAC countries best practice and work with them to establish operational real-time prediction of events through skill development, training and knowledge sharing.
4) Researchers in UWI and Uni of Ghana will have the opportunity to share knowledge, to attend sabbaticals in the UK, and to bid for additional funds within SARTRAC (the Flexible Innovation Fund) to undertake additional research or capacity building as needed. Each annual consortium meetings will include scheduled training to build capacity in areas identified by partners during the inception phase.
5) Regional organisations who may become the hub for regional Sargassum governance, such as Organisation of East Caribbean States (OECS), Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre in Belize; the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology, (CIMH), Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO), Caribbean Agriculture Research and Development Institute (CARDI), Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM)
6) International organisations with responsibilities for the oceans/food security, e.g. UN Food and Agriculture Organization, and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, and NGOs concerned with the conservation of coastal ecosystems in the region, e.g. Waitt Institute.
Benefits will arise:
WP1. Through a deeper understanding of the drivers that determine the seasonal and interannual variability in Sargassum beaching, and a bespoke system for predicting when and where beaching events will happen, we can build capacity at local and national level to prepare for such events.
WP2. Through development of an operational, near real-time Sargassummonitoring system, coupled to a dissemination system, we will provide communities and agencies with information needed to develop risk management strategies and adaptation to the "new normal" of seasonal Sargassum strandings. We will document the nature of the impacts and adaptations, and identify the worst affected communities, and communicate best practice management approaches.
WP3. Through evaluation of the potential for Sargassum re-use as texturing agents for the food industry, biofuels, fertilizers, animal feed, biomaterials, nutraceuticals, and cosmeceuticals, we will identify transformational adaptation options for Sargassum-receiving communities, providing new knowledge that may create opportunities for communities throughout the region and in West Africa. We will engage with communities to identify the barriers to uptake of alternative uses of Sargassum, and to share success stories of Sargasssum re-use.
WP4. Through deliberative workshops we bring together stakeholders, facilitate the development of an integrated inter-state governance network to co-ordinate policy, administrative, technical and legal aspects of the response to Sargassum beachings, seeking outcomes to the Sargassum crisis that generate equitable resilience for the poorest.
1) Local and national government agencies involved in managing the impacts Sargassum strandings can improve the wellbeing and development opportunities for coastal residents. In Jamaica these agencies are: National Environment Planning Agency, Jamaica; the Planning Institute of Jamaica; government agencies in each of the other English-speaking Caribbean DAC countries. In Ghana: the Ghanaian Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (MOFAD); the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) in Ghana.
2) Marginalized and poor coastal communities affected by Sargassum strandings throughout DAC countries of the Caribbean, Central America and West Africa currently struggle to deal with the Sargassum events, suffering health, livelihood and access impacts.
3) National and regional agencies in Caribbean DAC countries and engaged in monitoring and early warning schemes (MEWS) for Sargassum beaching, such as those established in Guadeloupe and Puerto Rico. SARTRAC will share with MEWS agencies in selected Caribbean DAC countries best practice and work with them to establish operational real-time prediction of events through skill development, training and knowledge sharing.
4) Researchers in UWI and Uni of Ghana will have the opportunity to share knowledge, to attend sabbaticals in the UK, and to bid for additional funds within SARTRAC (the Flexible Innovation Fund) to undertake additional research or capacity building as needed. Each annual consortium meetings will include scheduled training to build capacity in areas identified by partners during the inception phase.
5) Regional organisations who may become the hub for regional Sargassum governance, such as Organisation of East Caribbean States (OECS), Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre in Belize; the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology, (CIMH), Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO), Caribbean Agriculture Research and Development Institute (CARDI), Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM)
6) International organisations with responsibilities for the oceans/food security, e.g. UN Food and Agriculture Organization, and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, and NGOs concerned with the conservation of coastal ecosystems in the region, e.g. Waitt Institute.
Benefits will arise:
WP1. Through a deeper understanding of the drivers that determine the seasonal and interannual variability in Sargassum beaching, and a bespoke system for predicting when and where beaching events will happen, we can build capacity at local and national level to prepare for such events.
WP2. Through development of an operational, near real-time Sargassummonitoring system, coupled to a dissemination system, we will provide communities and agencies with information needed to develop risk management strategies and adaptation to the "new normal" of seasonal Sargassum strandings. We will document the nature of the impacts and adaptations, and identify the worst affected communities, and communicate best practice management approaches.
WP3. Through evaluation of the potential for Sargassum re-use as texturing agents for the food industry, biofuels, fertilizers, animal feed, biomaterials, nutraceuticals, and cosmeceuticals, we will identify transformational adaptation options for Sargassum-receiving communities, providing new knowledge that may create opportunities for communities throughout the region and in West Africa. We will engage with communities to identify the barriers to uptake of alternative uses of Sargassum, and to share success stories of Sargasssum re-use.
WP4. Through deliberative workshops we bring together stakeholders, facilitate the development of an integrated inter-state governance network to co-ordinate policy, administrative, technical and legal aspects of the response to Sargassum beachings, seeking outcomes to the Sargassum crisis that generate equitable resilience for the poorest.
Organisations
- University of Southampton (Lead Research Organisation)
- National Autonomous University of Mexico (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM (Collaboration)
- United Nations (UN) (Collaboration)
- Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and the Fisheries (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF YORK (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF EXETER (Collaboration)
Publications
Almela V
(2023)
Brown algae invasions and bloom events need routine monitoring for effective adaptation
in Environmental Research Letters
Corbin M
(2023)
Assessing growth of pelagic sargassum in the Tropical Atlantic
in Aquatic Botany
Davis D
(2021)
Biomass composition of the golden tide pelagic seaweeds Sargassum fluitans and S. natans (morphotypes I and VIII) to inform valorisation pathways.
in The Science of the total environment
Dominguez Almela V
(2023)
Science and policy lessons learned from a decade of adaptation to the emergent risk of sargassum proliferation across the tropical Atlantic
in Environmental Research Communications
Fidai Y
(2020)
A systematic review of floating and beach landing records of Sargassum beyond the Sargasso Sea
in Environmental Research Communications
Fidai Y
(2023)
Tracking and detecting sargassum pathways across the tropical Atlantic
in Environmental Research Communications
Fidai YA
(2024)
Innovative spectral characterisation of beached pelagic sargassum towards remote estimation of biochemical and phenotypic properties.
in The Science of the total environment
Machado CB
(2022)
Pelagic Sargassum events in Jamaica: Provenance, morphotype abundance, and influence of sample processing on biochemical composition of the biomass.
in The Science of the total environment
Marsh R
(2023)
Climate-sargassum interactions across scales in the tropical Atlantic
in PLOS Climate
Marsh R
(2022)
Forecasting seasonal sargassum events across the tropical Atlantic: Overview and challenges
in Frontiers in Marine Science
Marsh R
(2021)
Seasonal Predictions of Holopelagic Sargassum Across the Tropical Atlantic Accounting for Uncertainty in Drivers and Processes: The SARTRAC Ensemble Forecast System
in Frontiers in Marine Science
Marsh R
(2021)
Ocean Currents
Skliris N
(2022)
Physical drivers of pelagic sargassum bloom interannual variability in the Central West Atlantic over 2010-2020
in Ocean Dynamics
Tonon T
(2022)
Biochemical and Elemental Composition of Pelagic Sargassum Biomass Harvested across the Caribbean
in Phycology
Trench C
(2022)
Application of Stranded Pelagic Sargassum Biomass as Compost for Seedling Production in the Context of Mangrove Restoration
in Frontiers in Environmental Science
Van Der Plank S
(2024)
The 'More Than Maps' framework for building research capacity among young people in coastal climate change adaptation
in Area
Yaw Atiglo D
(2024)
Misperception of drivers of risk alters willingness to adapt in the case of sargassum influxes in West Africa
in Global Environmental Change
| Title | Exchanging sargassum knowledge in the Western Region of Ghana, January 2023 |
| Description | A blog post sharing collaborative fieldwork efforts by University of Southampton researchers: Dr Victoria Dominguez Almela and Dr Sien van der Plank; University of Ghana researchers: Prof Kwasi Appeaning Addo, Dr Philip-Neri Jayson-Quashigah, Dr Winnie Sowah, Millicent Acheampong, Evelyn Naa Boeteng, Bernice Wilmot Oppong; Mona GeoInformatics Institute researchers: Dr Ava Maxam, Darren Fletcher, Romario Anderson; Ghana Environmental Protection Agency representatives: Peace Gbeckor Kove, Charles Bamfo, Mawuli Gbeckor; Beyin teachers and community members: Felix Cudjoe, Joyce Ackah, Francis Armoh; Sanzule teachers and community members: Gladys Agyalu, Veronica Esslen, Festus Agbodohu; and Esiama teachers and community members: Prosper Amihere, Afful Bemie Millicent |
| Type Of Art | Creative Writing |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Impact | Raising the profile of the collaboration between science and society in addressing a new emergent risk. |
| URL | https://www.sartrac.org/news/exchanging-sargassum-knowledge-in-the-western-region-of-ghana-january-2... |
| Title | Research in Ghana: Charles Bamfo Jnr |
| Description | Charles discusses How to better use and manage the problematic brown algae that is washing up on the shores across the tropical Atlantic. This video explains how SARTRAC + ESRC IAA funded SargSNAP! looks to engage citizens in monitoring Sargassum, specifically, school children and professionals, who will monitor this algae with large scale surveillance systems as drones and satellites. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Impact | Here you can here Ghanaian Charles Bamfo Jnr talking about the impact of sargassum |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgRC0_sAt5A |
| Title | SARTRAC Scientific Webinar Series |
| Description | Run by partners at the UNiversity of the West Indies, the science of sargassum, presented by the SARTRAC team. Four webinars have been produced to date 1. Bob Marsh (Soton) large scale drivers of sargassum 2. Hazel Oxenford (UWI) ecology of sargassum 3. Kerrine Senior (UWI) risk assessment of sargassum 4. Nikolaos Skliris (Soton) role of winds and currents in driving sargassum |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Impact | The webinar series attracted cross-regional policy makers, researchers, students and affected people. |
| URL | https://www.sartrac.org/outputs/#workshop-materials |
| Title | Sargassum - A problem in the western region of Ghana |
| Description | A video of drone-based sargassum monitoring fieldwork in western coastal Ghana, with SARTRAC colleagues from U of Ghana explaining the problem of sargassum and the research being undertaken |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | This has just been released |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5j_ZbEUgoBk |
| Title | Sargassum is worsening the conditions of the poorest people in Ghana |
| Description | This blog post is provided by Dr Victoria Dominguez Almela & Dr Philip-Neri Jayson-Quashigah and tells the story of lessons learned during the SARTRAC fieldtrip to the remote coastal areas of Sanzule, Beyin and Esiama, Ghana, and the engagement of three schools. |
| Type Of Art | Creative Writing |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Impact | This is raising the profile of the work that we are undertaking in Ghana |
| URL | https://www.sartrac.org/news/sargassum-is-worsening-the-conditions-of-the-poorest-people-in-ghana/ |
| Title | Sargassum pod E50 The voices of the invisible Sargassum impacts fishing communities w Bethia Thomas |
| Description | Dr Bethia Thomas was the researcher for SARTRAC in St Lucia, and she shares her findings from her research with the Sargassum podcast team. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Impact | This has received 165 views in 5 months |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xL0QGKzQPms |
| Title | Sargassum research in Ghana |
| Description | Overview of SARTRAC research in Ghana. Project PI and wider team speak about aim of fieldwork in Ghana. This fieldwork was supported by SARTRAC but additional grant income from ESRC IAA, World Universities Network and UOS PERu enabled us to undertake a variety of supplementary activities. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Impact | 324 views in 5 months |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngeEMtpo1lk |
| Description | In terms of scientific contribution by initial SARTRAC OBJECTIVE we have delivered the following: 01: GOVERNANCE: • Identified adaptation successes delivered in the early years of sargassum management including: development of national management strategies; open-access knowledge hubs, networks and webinars sharing information and best practice; semi-operational early advisory systems using open access remote sensing data; numerous innovations customising clean-up and harvesting equipment, and research and development of new uses and value-added products Science and policy lessons learned from a decade of adaptation to the emergent risk of sargassum proliferation across the tropical Atlantic - IOPscience • In the same work (Dominguez et al., 2023), we identified that adaptation to large transboundary emergent risks (e.g. sargassum) is shaped by the extant institutional architecture in place as the risk emerges. Effective adaptation to such large emergent risks arises when enabling conditions are in place to enable rapid responses to key issues: 1) rapid response capacity within regional research institutions; 2) flexibility and rapid response capacity within regional policy-shaping bodies to rapidly engage with policy dimensions of new risks; 3) willingness to share scientific data and materials on impacts and nature of risk from initial onset; 4) lesson sharing on trial and error responses to risk management. • Produced a list (and analysis) of extant sargassum policy documents for the Caribbean Full article: Polycentric Governance, Coordination and Capacity: The Case of Sargassum Influxes in the Caribbean (tandfonline.com) - this was used and picked up in the UNEP White Paper on Sargassum. • Developed adaptation theory through analysis of sargassum, identifying that misunderstood physical drivers shape ideas about who should adapt, and misunderstanding drivers diverts attention away from proactive adaptation Misperception of drivers of risk alters willingness to adapt in the case of sargassum influxes in West Africa - ScienceDirect - highlighting the need for careful communication of the sargassum issue. 02: DISTRIBUTION • Clarified areas of research need, and gaps in our understanding relating to monitoring o Lack of monitoring of locations over time A systematic review of floating and beach landing records of Sargassum beyond the Sargasso Sea - IOPscience o Lack of monitoring of impacts and adaptations Brown algae invasions and bloom events need routine monitoring for effective adaptation - IOPscience • Developed methods that can support sargassum monitoring: o GPS trackers (in cheap homemade floats) help overcome satellite-based and model-based uncertainties in sargassum monitoring Tracking and detecting sargassum pathways across the tropical Atlantic - IOPscience o Developed Spectral profiles of three morphotypes and fresh and old beached sargassum Innovative spectral characterisation of beached pelagic sargassum towards remote estimation of biochemical and phenotypic properties - ScienceDirect • Developed a sargassum early advisory systems for Jamaica (JSEAS) which is already operational and warning communities JSEAS | Jamaica Sargassum Early Advisory System (monagis.com) and Sartrac - Blogs o Launch event here: SARTRAC LEGACY IN JAMAICA: Jamaican Sargassum Early Advisory System - Mona GeoInformatics Institute (monagis.com) 03: TRANSFORMATION • Identified small scale community uses for sargassum (these uses require no, or simple, processing - e.g. washing off the sand in sea water) o Sargassum compost (ratio 75:25 sargassum: other organic matter) can support mangrove rehabilitation Frontiers | Application of Stranded Pelagic Sargassum Biomass as Compost for Seedling Production in the Context of Mangrove Restoration (frontiersin.org) o Sargassum/sawdust co-compost significantly improves percentage germination of seeds of corn, tomatoes and scotch bonnet pepper (paper in progress) Mona Webber | Sargassum seaweed: what to do and what not to do with it | Commentary | Jamaica Gleaner (jamaica-gleaner.com) o Sargassum could be used for biogas production (mixed with animal waste, and not on its own) BUT the slurry produced cannot be used in agriculture due to high levels of arsenic. No publication planned as non-positive result. Mona Webber | Sargassum seaweed: what to do and what not to do with it | Commentary | Jamaica Gleaner (jamaica-gleaner.com) • Identified where communities could collect and sell sargassum for high value processing: o Sargassum contains elements that can be extracted for high value goods Phycology | Free Full-Text | Biochemical and Elemental Composition of Pelagic Sargassum Biomass Harvested across the Caribbean (mdpi.com) • Identified where sargassum should not be used o Sargassum contains high levels of heavy metals which can be taken up by root crops - it should not be used directly on any root crops, or made into drinks of foods for humans or animals without careful processing. Mona Webber | Sargassum seaweed: what to do and what not to do with it | Commentary | Jamaica Gleaner (jamaica-gleaner.com) o Sargassum is not a good feedstock for bio-digesters, and in all combinations of sargassum and organic waste, the organic waste alone produced more biogas, however in the absence of any other organic waste it can be used. • Identified that (cheap) sun-drying of sargassum is better than (expensive) freeze-drying of sargassum increases the proportion of phenolic compounds (used in foods for taste and colour, but also have anticarcinogenic and antimicrobial properties), Pelagic Sargassum events in Jamaica: Provenance, morphotype abundance, and influence of sample processing on biochemical composition of the biomass - ScienceDirect • Found that sargassum can double in biomass in the period between 13 days and 31 days (depending on morphotype), and that the three common pelagic sargassum morphotypes in the Tropical Atlantic have significantly different growth rates, with growth of all three slowing in the warm water / summer period. Assessing growth of pelagic sargassum in the Tropical Atlantic - ScienceDirect 04: DRIVERS • Identified key drivers of sargassum proliferation in the Atlantic (winds, currents and ocean circulation / overturning esp. Atlantic Meridional Mode) o (Physical drivers of pelagic sargassum bloom interannual variability in the Central West Atlantic over 2010-2020 | Ocean Dynamics (springer.com) • Developed a methodology for long term forecasting (SARTRAC-EFS) and explored problematic issues within sargassum forecasts o Frontiers | Seasonal Predictions of Holopelagic Sargassum Across the Tropical Atlantic Accounting for Uncertainty in Drivers and Processes: The SARTRAC Ensemble Forecast System (frontiersin.org) o Frontiers | Forecasting seasonal sargassum events across the tropical Atlantic: Overview and challenges (frontiersin.org) • Developed new hypotheses about the link between climate change and sargassum; with decadal warming of the oceans, sargassum might move poleward, and potentially die off in the GASB during hot tropical summers Climate-sargassum interactions across scales in the tropical Atlantic | PLOS Climate COMMUNICATION, CO-DEVELOPMENT AND CAPACITY BUILDING • Developed an educational video series showing the extension of communications based research to Ghana More than Maps - YouTube • Developed a citizen science monitoring method for sargassum van der Plank, S., and SargSNAP: Using a citizen science approach (youtube.com) o establishing a transferable framework of monitoring stations initially in Ghana SargSNAP! Building youth-led citizen science expertise in remote Ghanaian coastal communities | University of Southampton o Extended collaboration to Mexico (currently ongoing through SarTECH) Interactive community engagement using technology and citizen science for school and community capacity building on pelagic sargassum in Mexico | University of Southampton o and to Jamaica sartrac.org/res/files/Presentation Jamaica.mp4 • For schools: o Developed online methods and tools to engage schools and in identification and monitoring of sargassum and in understanding the opportunities from sargassum Sartrac - Teaching Materials - translated into French, Portuguese and Spanish o Developed online training materials on how to use remote sensing to track sargassum Area - Wiley Online Library and https://youtu.be/S7N_uZfAroA From Thursday 29th February 2024, SARTRAC stopped sending tweets, posting on LinkedIn, or responding regularly to sartrac@soton.ac.uk email address. We will likely close down all these social media and website in 3 years if we have no follow on funding. 1.2. Narrative impact from 2021-2023 1.2.1. RESEARCH REACH AND IMPACT: In 2021, we established a web presence (www.sartrac.org) and started to share our research through that website and through online networks, and online conferences. Interest in the SARTRAC project and our findings grew and we were contacted by various public sector organisations (including the BVI government, the Jamaican National Environmental Protection Agency - NEPA, and the Ghanaian Environmental Protection Agency - EPA), various non-profits keen to learn more to support their communities (e.g. sargassum podcast), as well as multiple private sector companies keen to find new ways of using sargassum resources. We have been contacted by multiple companies and researchers seeking new collaborations in Jamaica and Ghana, and in using remote sensing technologies to track sargassum. We continue to meet with these groups, share our resources, and encourage collaboration with our partners. Team members from within the consortium in Ghana and Jamaica are increasingly being asked to advise their own governments about sargassum, and are being asked for expert input into regional dialogues on sargassum. 1.2.2. CAPACITY BUILDING: SARTRAC has supported south-south capacity building initiatives, so that colleagues across the tropical Atlantic (Jamaica, Ghana and Barbados), equally affected by sargassum, can share lessons learned, skills developed, and resources produced. Initiatives included: (i) quarterly whole consortium online meetings to share latest knowledge among all partners; (ii) an annual science event online to bring together academics working on sargassum with the SARTRAC team to share knowledge across the Atlantic; (iv) organising all partner travel to Ghana to share knowledge from the Caribbean with the Ghanaian team and the Ghanaian EPA. 1.2.3. ADDRESSING FUNDING CUTS: To try and address the post-COVID-GCRF funding cuts, the project team sought additional funding from other sources to try and deliver some key areas of impact. Five additional project grants that built on SARTRAC were funded through: Univ of Southampton seed funding through PERu, ESRC IAA, WUN, NERC, UKRI ODA and British Council. Without core SARTRAC funding, none of these additional standalone projects would have been possible. The additional grants : (1) created online training resources for A-level geography students on basic remote sensing skills - using the case study of sargassum (Univ of Southampton/PERu / More than Maps); (2) created online training courses for professionals in the Caribbean on using remote sensing for sargassum identification (British Council / More than Maps 2); (3) created sargassum biology training resources - posters, info for teachers, and booklets for students - for three junior high schools in Ghana and created online training courses for professionals in Ghana on using remote sensing for sargassum identification (WUN / SARCAP); (4) delivered an analysis of volcanic ash on sargassum (NERC / MONISARG); and (5) established 3 permanent sargassum monitoring posts and information sheets for citizen science in 3 villages in Ghana and trained 3 local schools and communities in the three villages on how to collect sargassum monitoring data on the nature of sargassum beaching events (ESRC IAA / SargSNAP!). None of these additional pieces of work would have been possible without the original SARTRAC project which established relationships, supported international collaboration, and undertook the initial scientific investigation. Each additional project brought impact: 1.2.3.1. More than Maps 1 and 2: A level / high schools students in the UK trained on remote sensing, and learned about sargassum; and young professionals trained in the Caribbean on using remote sensing to monitor sargassum 1.2.3.2. SARCAP: sargassum teaching resources produced for junior high school students and teachers. SARTRAC team took these to Ghana and delivered training courses in the 3 villages. All resources were translated into French, Spanish and Portuguese to increase accessibility for Caribbean and Central American countries. The teachers in the three schools are now actively involved in helping develop these teaching resources, and they are being used as part of the teaching curriculum in these schools. 1.2.3.3. SargSNAP!: the engaged communities are now regularly taking pictures of the sargassum on the beaches in western Ghana and collating and sharing this data to allow the Ghanaian scientists to better understand the seasonality and extent of sargassum beaching events (this monitoring has not been possible using remote sensing due to high levels of cloud cover) 1.3. Narrative impact from 2019-2020 SARTRAC started officially in December 2019, the first few months were spent developing an Inception report which expanded the methodology and detailed the work schedule. COVID-19 (March 2020-March 2022) led to an immediate redesign of the project, the cessation of all planned fieldwork, and a recast of the project into a desk-based study. Despite significant delays occurring due to a sudden shift to online working, and At the end of year 1, several key findings emerge from our research: a) There is significantly less research on sargassum events and impacts in West Africa, this is partly due to cloud cover issues - whereby satellite imagery is difficult to use due to high levels of cloud cover in the Gulf of Guinea b) Transformational adaptation requires action in three areas: addressing underlying issues of poverty, managing the recurrent / predictable risk context, and seizing economic opportunities that arise from hazards. c) Sargassum movement within the tropical Atlantic ocean is determined by the whim of wind and currents; this has made us more aware of the need to effectively integrate wind and currents into our sargassum forecast model. d) Some countries with more familiarity and experience of sargassum (e.g. Bermuda) do not see it as a hazard, but as an important element of the island ecosystem |
| Exploitation Route | The SARTRAC project has prioritised three ways of working: (1) effective communication: (2) co-development, and (3) capacity strengthening across all partners. We have therefore showcased our findings across multiple platforms (X/Twitter, YouTube videos, Facebook and LinkedIn), in a variety of ways to encourage wider engagement with our findings, including: • Website: Sartrac - Home (now moved within the Univ of Southampton to avoid future costs) • Twitter/X account: (1) SARTRAC (@SARTRAC1) / X (twitter.com) (251 posts, 150 followers) • LinkedIN site (50) SARTRAC . | LinkedIn. • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5j_ZbEUgoBk and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngeEMtpo1lk We also created linked websites to share knowledge from the linked projects supported through additional funding: Project: SARCAP - Building capacity to monitor and manage sargassum seaweed inundations in Western Africa. Tompkins et al. Funded by the World Universities Network from Oct 22 - March 23. Outputs: Teaching resources for junior high school students on (i) the biology of sargassum and (ii) training of trainers in Ghana on how to deliver training to professionals on remote sensing to monitor sargassum. All training materials for schools translated into French. Website: https://wun.ac.uk/wun/research/view/building-capacity-to-monitor-and-manage-sargassum-seaweed-inundations-in-western-africa-sarcap/ Project: More than Maps (Van der Plank et al). Funded by both the University of Southampton Public Engagement with Research Unit (PERu) and the British Council from 2021-2022. Outputs: co-development of training resources with colleagues in Jamaica, Ghana and Australia on stakeholder analysis of sargassum problems, and remote sensing training for A level students on how to monitor sargassum using Google Earth Engine. Website: https://morethanmaps.sartrac.org/ Project: SargSNAP! Building youth-led citizen science expertise in remote Ghanaian coastal communities (Dominguez et al.) Funded by the ESRC Impact Acceleration Account at the University of Southampton. Outputs: The SARTRAC team engaged junior high school children in three communities in Western Ghana (Sanzule, Esiama and Beyin). Building on SARCAP work, we tested the students' general knowledge on sargassum, collected evidence of their experiences of sargassum, and invited them to collect sargassum distribution data: first, by taking photos of sargassum impacts on their everyday lives; second, by using a newly launched CoastSnap permanent phot point in their locality to systematically record the absence and presence of sargassum. We have a growing collection of beached sargassum as evidence of quantities arriving. Website: https://www.sartrac.org/news/exchanging-sargassum-knowledge-in-the-western-region-of-ghana-january-2023/ https://main.monagis.com/sartrac-project-update-03-mgi-continues-transformational-work-under-sartrac-by-participating-in-the-sargsnap-initiative-to-conduct-sargassum-monitoring-in-ghana/ https://main.monagis.com/elementor-3979/ 5. How might the findings be taken forward and by whom? / In what ways might the outcomes of this funding be taken forward and put to use by others? Our partners are already taking forward the research undertaken in SARTRAC. - The Environmental Protection Agency in Ghana is working with Southampton Uni to better understand sargassum influxes and management strategies. - The Jamaican Sargassum Early Advisory System (JSEAS) was officially launched in January 2024 and is now issuing advisories in relation to sargassum influxes in Jamaica. - Mona MGI is collaborating with a company in Dominican Republic (SOS Carbon) to share the SARTRAC Sargassum Early Advisory System for Jamaica (JSEAS), and support in-field harvesting of sargassum. - University of Ghana is pushing to develop a Gulf of Guinea Sargassum Network to mirror the Sarg'Net group that operates across the Caribbean and Central America. - University of Ghana has now established an additional 4 sargassum monitoring stations along the coast of Ghana - New collaboration has been established with UNAM Mexico. With University of Southampton, UNAM has installed 5 citizen science sargassum monitoring points and 3 fixed camera automated sites in Mexico. - With UNAM, Southampton Uni and University of the West Indies fixed automated sargassum monitoring points have been established in Jamaica, along with 2 citizen science monitoring stations. - With UNAM, Southampton Uni and University of Ghana fixed automated sargassum monitoring points have been established in Ghana. - Uni of Southampton intends to automate the SARTRAC Ensemble Forecast System to deliver seasonal forecasts online through the SARTRAC website - Uni of Southampton is currently evaluating the pictorial evidence of sargassum on Ghanaian beaches (from citizen science monitoring) to estimate seasonal volumes and distribution of sargassum. We anticipate wider use of the More Than Maps applications, more engagement with the JSEAS tool, and potentially bespoke sargassum early forecasts through the SARTRAC EFS tool. |
| Sectors | Agriculture Food and Drink Chemicals Communities and Social Services/Policy Construction Education Energy Environment Government Democracy and Justice Manufacturing including Industrial Biotechology |
| URL | https://www.sartrac.org/ |
| Description | 01: GOVERNANCE: • Produced a list (and analysis) of extant sargassum policy documents for the Caribbean, see paper: Polycentric Governance, Coordination and Capacity: The Case of Sargassum Influxes in the Caribbean (tandfonline.com) - this was used and picked up in the UNEP White Paper on Sargassum. • Identified that misunderstood physical drivers of sargassum influxes shape ideas about who should adapt, and misunderstanding drivers diverts attention away from proactive adaptation, see paper: Misperception of drivers of risk alters willingness to adapt in the case of sargassum influxes in West Africa - ScienceDirect - highlighting the need for careful communication of the sargassum issue. 02: DISTRIBUTION • Clarified areas of research need, and gaps in our understanding relating to monitoring including: Lack of monitoring of locations over time, see: A systematic review of floating and beach landing records of Sargassum beyond the Sargasso Sea - IOPscience; Lack of monitoring of impacts and adaptations, see: Brown algae invasions and bloom events need routine monitoring for effective adaptation - IOPscience; and Developed methods that can support sargassum monitoring through low cost-GPS trackers (in cheap homemade floats) help overcome satellite-based and model-based uncertainties in sargassum monitoring. • Developed a sargassum early advisory systems for Jamaica (JSEAS) which is already operational and warning communities, see: JSEAS | Jamaica Sargassum Early Advisory System (monagis.com) and Sartrac - Blogs, launched officially in January 2024. 03: TRANSFORMATION - Identified small scale community uses for sargassum (these uses require no, or simple, processing - e.g. washing off the sand in sea water): Sargassum compost (ratio 75:25 sargassum: other organic matter) can support mangrove rehabilitation; sargassum/sawdust co-compost significantly improves percentage germination of seeds of corn, tomatoes and scotch bonnet peppers; Sargassum could be used for biogas production (mixed with animal waste, and not on its own) BUT the slurry produced cannot be used in agriculture due to high levels of arsenic; Identified where communities could collect and sell sargassum for high value processing: Sargassum contains elements that can be extracted for high value goods. - Identified where sargassum should not be used: Sargassum contains high levels of heavy metals which can be taken up by root crops - it should not be used directly on any root crops, or made into drinks of foods for humans or animals without careful processing. Sargassum is not a good feedstock for bio-digesters, and in all combinations of sargassum and organic waste, the organic waste alone produced more biogas, however in the absence of any other organic waste it can be used. Cheap (sun-drying) of sargassum is better than (expensive) freeze-drying of sargassum increases the proportion of phenolic compounds (used in foods for taste and colour, but also have anticarcinogenic and antimicrobial properties) 04: DRIVERS • Identified key drivers of sargassum proliferation in the Atlantic (winds, currents and ocean circulation / overturning esp. Atlantic Meridional Mode) • Developed a methodology for long term forecasting (SARTRAC-EFS) and explored problematic issues within sargassum forecasts • Developed new hypotheses about the link between climate change and sargassum; with decadal warming of the oceans, sargassum might move poleward, and potentially die off in the GASB during hot tropical summers COMMUNICATION, CO-DEVELOPMENT AND CAPACITY BUILDING • Developed an educational video series showing the extension of communications based research to Ghana More than Maps - YouTube • Developed a citizen science monitoring method for sargassum: o establishing a transferable framework of monitoring stations initially in Ghana: o Extended collaboration to Mexico (currently ongoing through SarTECH) • For schools: o Developed online methods and tools to engage schools and in identification and monitoring of sargassum and in understanding the opportunities from sargassum Sartrac - Teaching Materials - translated into French, Portuguese and Spanish o Developed online training materials on how to use remote sensing to track sargassum Area - Wiley Online Library and https://youtu.be/S7N_uZfAroA 1.2. Narrative impact from 2021-2023 1.2.1. RESEARCH REACH AND IMPACT: In 2021, we established a web presence (www.sartrac.org) and started to share our research through that website and through online networks, and online conferences. Interest in the SARTRAC project and our findings grew and we were contacted by various public sector organisations (including the BVI government, the Jamaican National Environmental Protection Agency - NEPA, and the Ghanaian Environmental Protection Agency - EPA), various non-profits keen to learn more to support their communities (e.g. sargassum podcast), as well as multiple private sector companies keen to find new ways of using sargassum resources. We have been contacted by multiple companies and researchers seeking new collaborations in Jamaica and Ghana, and in using remote sensing technologies to track sargassum. We continue to meet with these groups, share our resources, and encourage collaboration with our partners. Team members from within the consortium in Ghana and Jamaica are increasingly being asked to advise their own governments about sargassum, and are being asked for expert input into regional dialogues on sargassum. 1.2.2. CAPACITY BUILDING: SARTRAC has supported south-south capacity building initiatives, so that colleagues across the tropical Atlantic (Jamaica, Ghana and Barbados), equally affected by sargassum, can share lessons learned, skills developed, and resources produced. Initiatives included: (i) quarterly whole consortium online meetings to share latest knowledge among all partners; (ii) an annual science event online to bring together academics working on sargassum with the SARTRAC team to share knowledge across the Atlantic; (iv) organising all partner travel to Ghana to share knowledge from the Caribbean with the Ghanaian team and the Ghanaian EPA. 1.2.3. ADDRESSING FUNDING CUTS: To try and address the post-COVID-GCRF funding cuts, the project team sought additional funding from other sources to try and deliver some key areas of impact. Five additional project grants that built on SARTRAC were funded through: Univ of Southampton seed funding through PERu, ESRC IAA, WUN, NERC, UKRI ODA and British Council. Without core SARTRAC funding, none of these additional standalone projects would have been possible. The additional grants : (1) created online training resources for A-level geography students on basic remote sensing skills - using the case study of sargassum (Univ of Southampton/PERu / More than Maps); (2) created online training courses for professionals in the Caribbean on using remote sensing for sargassum identification (British Council / More than Maps 2); (3) created sargassum biology training resources - posters, info for teachers, and booklets for students - for three junior high schools in Ghana and created online training courses for professionals in Ghana on using remote sensing for sargassum identification (WUN / SARCAP); (4) delivered an analysis of volcanic ash on sargassum (NERC / MONISARG); and (5) established 3 permanent sargassum monitoring posts and information sheets for citizen science in 3 villages in Ghana and trained 3 local schools and communities in the three villages on how to collect sargassum monitoring data on the nature of sargassum beaching events (ESRC IAA / SargSNAP!). None of these additional pieces of work would have been possible without the original SARTRAC project which established relationships, supported international collaboration, and undertook the initial scientific investigation. Each additional project brought impact: 1.2.3.1. More than Maps 1 and 2: A level / high schools students in the UK trained on remote sensing, and learned about sargassum; and young professionals trained in the Caribbean on using remote sensing to monitor sargassum 1.2.3.2. SARCAP: sargassum teaching resources produced for junior high school students and teachers. SARTRAC team took these to Ghana and delivered training courses in the 3 villages. All resources were translated into French, Spanish and Portuguese to increase accessibility for Caribbean and Central American countries. The teachers in the three schools are now actively involved in helping develop these teaching resources, and they are being used as part of the teaching curriculum in these schools. 1.2.3.3. SargSNAP!: the engaged communities are now regularly taking pictures of the sargassum on the beaches in western Ghana and collating and sharing this data to allow the Ghanaian scientists to better understand the seasonality and extent of sargassum beaching events (this monitoring has not been possible using remote sensing due to high levels of cloud cover) 1.3. Narrative impact from 2019-2020 SARTRAC started officially in December 2019, the first few months were spent developing an Inception report which expanded the methodology and detailed the work schedule. COVID-19 (March 2020-March 2022) led to an immediate redesign of the project, the cessation of all planned fieldwork, and a recast of the project into a desk-based study. Despite significant delays occurring due to a sudden shift to online working, and At the end of year 1, several key findings emerge from our research: a) There is significantly less research on sargassum events and impacts in West Africa, this is partly due to cloud cover issues - whereby satellite imagery is difficult to use due to high levels of cloud cover in the Gulf of Guinea b) Transformational adaptation requires action in three areas: addressing underlying issues of poverty, managing the recurrent / predictable risk context, and seizing economic opportunities that arise from hazards. c) Sargassum movement within the tropical Atlantic ocean is determined by the whim of wind and currents; this has made us more aware of the need to effectively integrate wind and currents into our sargassum forecast model. d) Some countries with more familiarity and experience of sargassum (e.g. Bermuda) do not see it as a hazard, but as an important element of the island ecosystem |
| First Year Of Impact | 2021 |
| Sector | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Education,Energy,Environment,Leisure Activities, including Sports, Recreation and Tourism,Government, Democracy and Justice,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology |
| Impact Types | Societal Policy & public services |
| Description | Discussion of Jamaica Sargassum Early Advisory System with Jamaican National Env Protection Agency |
| Geographic Reach | North America |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| URL | https://main.monagis.com/mgi-officially-launches-jseas/ |
| Description | Teaching materials for junior high schools on sargassum for Ghana |
| Geographic Reach | Africa |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to new or improved professional practice |
| Impact | This is changing the curriculum to support learning about sargassum seaweed |
| URL | https://www.sartrac.org/outputs/#materials |
| Description | Managing Climate Change Adaptation at the Coast through More than Maps |
| Amount | £24,944 (GBP) |
| Organisation | British Council |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2021 |
| End | 03/2022 |
| Description | Monitoring a large Sargassum bloom subject to a major volcanic eruption (MONISARG) |
| Amount | £51,933 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | NE/W004798/1 |
| Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 06/2021 |
| End | 02/2022 |
| Description | More than Maps: Social Science Skills for a Seaweed Situation |
| Amount | £1,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Economic and Social Research Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 08/2020 |
| End | 11/2020 |
| Description | NERC Urgency Grant |
| Amount | £50,146 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | NE/L010054/1 |
| Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 11/2013 |
| End | 04/2014 |
| Description | NERC field spectroscopy facility |
| Amount | £85,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | NERC-FSF: 890.0322 |
| Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2022 |
| End | 07/2022 |
| Description | Researcher Development Fund: Building capacity to monitor and manage sargassum seaweed inundations in Western Africa (SARCAP) |
| Amount | £10,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Worldwide Universities Network |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 02/2022 |
| End | 12/2022 |
| Description | https://www.southampton.ac.uk/research/projects/interactive-community-engagement-using-technology-citizen-science-for-school |
| Amount | £19,958 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute (SMMI) |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2023 |
| End | 07/2024 |
| Title | Assessment of the SARTRAC method of rapid analysis of beached sargassum in Jamaica, November 2020 |
| Description | Sargassum events remain a significant problem for coastal communities in the Latin American, Caribbean and African regions. The scale and complexity of coastlines in these regions, combined with the nature of the Sargassum inundations have made it especially difficult for coastal managers to effectively monitor Sargassum beaching events. To assist with this problem, this working paper applies a rapid monitoring approach developed within the SARTRAC project to assess sargassum events. The approach described in section 2, combines field, anecdotal and technological measures. Together, these measures can support standardised Sargassum monitoring procedures. This working paper applies the Sargassum Data collection form (Anderson, 2021) that can be found in SARTRAC working paper 3. |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2021 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | We are awaiting evidence of uptake |
| URL | https://www.sartrac.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/WP4_Sargassum-rapid-assessment-method-and-field-d... |
| Title | Comparison of IDL and Python programming languages for analysing satellite imagery of Sargassum |
| Description | The aim of this working paper is to provide guidance to new remote sensing researchers who are investigating Sargassum by offering a comparison of two commonly used programming languages for interpreting satellite imagery - Interactive Data Language (IDL) and Python. IDL is a programming language which is popular in image processing and in space science. ENVI image processing package is written in IDL which allows the user to exploit libraries associated with ENVI. However, it is not freely available. Python is a popular general-purpose programming language with a wide range of applications and is open source. Both are suitable options for detecting ocean surface Sargassum blooms in satellite imagery. This paper provides a comparative overview of the pros and cons of using each of these languages. |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2021 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | No evidence yet (2022) |
| URL | https://www.sartrac.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/WP2-Fidai-IDL-Python-2021.pdf |
| Title | SARGASSUM DATA COLLECTION FORM |
| Description | A template for use anywhere to collect information about sargassum needed for management and valorisation. A universal Sargassum data collection form can provide coastal managers with information on the size and nature of a sargassum event. Following Fidai et al (2020:9), within the SARTRAC project, a sargassum event is defined as "a continuous bloom of any Sargassum in open oceans, or, an aggregation of landed sargassum, with the potential to disrupt social, economic or ecosystem functioning, or to impact human health." Having standard parameters measured across affected areas can improve comparison between events over time, and between sites. It can also assist in the identification of where sargassum events are repeatedly occurring, and the severity of impacts. |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | This template has been adopted by colleagues in Ghana |
| URL | https://www.sartrac.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/WP3_Anderson_sargassum_reporting_form.pdf |
| Title | Spectral profiles of beached pelagic Sargassum (S. natans I, S. natans VIII, S. fluitans III) |
| Description | This dataset includes the spectral reflectance of each morphotype (S. natans I, S. natans VIII, S. fluitans III) collected in situ in Ghana (Sanzule) and Barbados (Consett Bay) in 2022. It also includes reflectance data for freshly deposited (<1 day) and recently deposited (<3 days) mixed species/morphotypes of sargassum in Barbados. For more information on the methods of data collection, see: Fidai et al. (2023) 'Innovative spectral characterisation of beached pelagic sargassum towards remote estimation of biochemical and phenotypic properties', Science of the Total Environment. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| URL | https://zenodo.org/doi/10.5281/zenodo.10441803 |
| Title | Tracking sargassum pathways across the Tropical Atlantic |
| Description | This dataset includes the date, time, address, latitude, longitude, speed, and altitude data collected by GPS trackers deployed in sargassum mats. For more information on the methods and data see Fidai et al. (2023) 'Tracking and detecting sargassum pathways across the Tropical Atlantic'. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | Further collaborations have been developed with partners in the Caribbean. Additional GPS trackers were purchased in March 2023 through the ongoing SARTRAC project (completed 29 February 2024), for successive re-deployments off Barbados. |
| URL | https://zenodo.org/doi/10.5281/zenodo.10209506 |
| Title | WORKING STAKEHOLDER LIST FOR SARTRAC PROJECT (SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND PHYSICAL ASPECTS) |
| Description | WORKING STAKEHOLDER LIST FOR SARTRAC PROJECT (SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND PHYSICAL ASPECTS) |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2020 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | Identifying stakeholders will assist in guiding social data collection and policy development for the project. Additionally stakeholder analysis with help in the development of a risk management strategy |
| Description | Early Advisory System Specification Requirements and Development Meeting - Jamaica |
| Organisation | Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and the Fisheries |
| Country | Jamaica |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | The data gathered from this meeting will enhance the outputs and increase the relevance of the Early Advisory System being developed for Jamaica. Early Advisory System Specification requirements and development of key contacts for various organizations who will utilize or benefit from the system. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Vital data which guides the development of the Early Advisory system - specific requirements were gathered and feedback on site mockup received. |
| Impact | User Specifications and Design Document Early Advisory System Development Multidisciplinary: Physical and Social Sciences |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | Giles Foody Uni of Nottingham |
| Organisation | University of Nottingham |
| Department | School of Geography |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We have agreed to share our Jamaican stakeholder user needs assessments for the Jamaican early warning system. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Giles and his team are looking at developing a sargassum early warning system specifically for Mexico. Giles and his team have agreed to share their stakeholder user needs assessment for an early warning system. By comparing stakeholder needs across countries, we may be able to identify additional needs that may not have been recognised in each individual user needs assessment. |
| Impact | This collaboration is multi-disciplinary and is just beginning |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | UK sargassum researcher collaboration (York CNAP and Exeter biosciences) |
| Organisation | University of Exeter |
| Department | Biosciences |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | York, Exeter and Southampton have collaborated to better understand the composition of sargassum seaweed. Seaweed samples from different parts of the Caribbean have been shared for different types of analysis This collaboration has resulted in a publication reported in the publications section. |
| Collaborator Contribution | University of West Indies collected seaweed and shipped to University of York - who shared with U of Exeter. U of York reanalysis of seaweed from Dominican republic, collected by Univ of Exeter. Univ of Southampton, - completed additional analysis of seaweed from both. results shared by all, and published |
| Impact | Paper published by all authors in Phycology in 2022 |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | UK sargassum researcher collaboration (York CNAP and Exeter biosciences) |
| Organisation | University of York |
| Department | Centre for Novel Agricultural Products (CNAP) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | York, Exeter and Southampton have collaborated to better understand the composition of sargassum seaweed. Seaweed samples from different parts of the Caribbean have been shared for different types of analysis This collaboration has resulted in a publication reported in the publications section. |
| Collaborator Contribution | University of West Indies collected seaweed and shipped to University of York - who shared with U of Exeter. U of York reanalysis of seaweed from Dominican republic, collected by Univ of Exeter. Univ of Southampton, - completed additional analysis of seaweed from both. results shared by all, and published |
| Impact | Paper published by all authors in Phycology in 2022 |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | UNAM and UoS citizen science sargassum monitoring in Ghana and Mexico |
| Organisation | National Autonomous University of Mexico |
| Country | Mexico |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Collaborating with prof Christian Appendini Albrechtsen from UNAM to develop and deliver citizen science sargassum monitoring along the coast of Mexico. Team of 4 from SARTRAC UK travelled to Mexico to work with Christian and his team to set up permanent citizen science monitoring posts and to deliver teaching in of sargassum science and management in four schools in coastal Mexico. Travel to Jamaica to establish permanent monitoring sites in Jamaica to roll out citizen science monitoring with schools there. |
| Collaborator Contribution | UNAM hosted the team of 4 , developed relationships with schools, facilitated all travel and interactions. Applied for permission to install permanent monitoring posts and provided technical staff to support installation in Mexico and Jamaica. Initiated a schools letter exchange with University of Ghana colleagues for school children in Ghana to share their experiences of living with sargassum in Ghana with those children in Mexico and vice versa |
| Impact | A PhD student from Mexico is currently visiting the UoS team to develop ideas and collaborations. Christian will come to Southampton on sabbatical in Oct 2024 with the intention to co-publish 2 papers. Technology developed in Mexico to monitor sargassum using automated camera technology currently being rolled out in Ghana (has just been implemented in Jamaica) |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | UNEP Mahesh Pradhan Ghana UoS |
| Organisation | United Nations (UN) |
| Department | United Nations Environment Programme |
| Country | Kenya |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Engagement with UNEP Nutrients Division in preparation for the biannual UNEP Conference of minsters in Feb 2021 (UNEA) |
| Collaborator Contribution | We have discussed the opportunities for SARTRAC to feed into the Feb 2021 UNEP Conference of ministers (UNEA, 2021) |
| Impact | Attendance at meetings - nothing significant yet |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | "An Early Career Researcher Toolkit for the Bioeconomy" organised by the High Value Biorenewables and Biomass Biorefinary Network on 5-6 July at Marriott Hotel, York. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | The event was organised for Early Career Researchers to get the opportunity to present their work either in a short talk and a poster. The management board of both networks also engaged with people at the event, giving insights on commercialising research and also on career paths. Most of the ERCs were not aware of the problems the affected community faces due to the Sargassum inundation. The audience reported change in views, opinions and behaviours regarding the Sargassum problem. They understand the importance of sargassum valorisation. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | A Southampton local college teacher attended a practice workshop for More than Maps, as a result of which the teacher is planning to include stakeholder analysis in future lessons. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | A Southampton local college teacher attended a practice workshop for More than Maps, as a result of which the teacher is planning to include stakeholder analysis in future lessons. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | A workshop held in Cape Coast, Ghana, on West Africa coastal areas vulnerability, adaptation and resilience in a changing climate. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | A workshop held by the University of Ghana in Cape Coast, Ghana, to strategically build a long-term coastal adaptability and resilience along the West African coast through carrying out an in-depth, multidimensional assessment of coastal vulnerability and solutions along the WA coast with the intent of providing critical knowledge and pathways to more WA coastal area's resilient futures. One of the outcomes was requests about (further) participation or involvement by participants. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Alyson Myers from FearlessFund.org contacted the team, wanting to know more about the SARTRAC project in Ghana |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Alyson Myers from FearlessFund.org contacted us to know more about the SARTRAC project in Ghana. This was mainly to get more information on the SARTRAC project and firsthand information on the sargassum problem in West Africa. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Attended the AlgalBBB 2021 online conference. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | I attended the International Conference without presenting our work. A colleague presented our work in an oral presentation. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | http://www.elsevier.com/events/conferences/international-conference-on-algal-biomass-biofuels-and-bi... |
| Description | Conference presentation: EGU General Assembly 2021 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Conference paper delivered at: EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts (EGU21-12381): Abstract: Since 2011, Sargassum seaweed has proliferated across the tropical North Atlantic, evident in Floating Algae Index (FAI) images for the Central Atlantic region (38-63 W, 0-22 N) over 2000-2020. To investigate the role of physical drivers in post-2011 Sargassum blooms, conditions are examined across the wider tropical Atlantic. Of particular consequence for the growth and drift of Sargassum are patterns and seasonality of winds and currents. In years when the FAI index is high (2015, 2018), the Intertropical Convergence Zone (where Sargassum accumulates) was displaced southward, towards nutrient-rich waters of the Amazon river plume and the equatorial upwelling zone. Strong enhancement of the North Brazil Current retroflection and North Equatorial Counter Current circulation system in 2015 and 2018 may have increased nutrient availability/uptake for Sargassum in the North Equatorial Recirculation. Raised awareness of the role of winds and currents in moving sargassum which helps predict the arrival of sargassum in vulnerable locations without local early warning systems |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2021EGUGA..2312381M/abstract |
| Description | Contact made with two research groups who have produced spectral graphs of Sargassum to request the data underlying the graphs |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | Contacted two research groups who have produced spectral graphs of Sargassum to request the data underlying the graphs (response received from one). Contacted sargassummonitoring.com to find out who runs the website (response received). Established contact with other sargassum stakeholders and outlined what the SARTRAC project is doing, including the open access research ethos of the UKRI GCRF. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Contacted by a reporter and conducted a radio interview on 16/06/21 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Contacted by a reporter and conducted a radio interview June 16, 2021 at 18:30- Beyond the Headlines with Dionne Jackson-Miller. Spoke about the 2021 Sargassum influx to be expected in 2021 (based on USF bulletin) and the activities related to SARTRAC that could benefit Jamaica. Inclusive of MGI assessing the features of and conditions in areas with heavy Sargassum beaching with the aim to predict areas of the Jamaican coast most vulnerable to heavy strandings; also spoke about valorisation projects). Interview given with other experts from environmental protection, business development and fisheries about the sargassum inundation of Jamaica and how the sargassum can be used. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0-2s-rQyFI |
| Description | Contacted by colleges interested in Festival of Social Sciences workshops |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | As part of recruitment for the More than Maps workshops held for the Festival of Social Sciences, Sien van der Plank worked with the University of Southampton Widening Participation team to contact secondary school colleges to make them aware of the opportunity. This resulted in direct communication with teachers from four schools, and attendance of their students (and one teacher) to the workshops. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Coordination meeting across other UWI-Cave Hill sargassum researchers to update on ongoing studies and seek opportunities for collaboration |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | Knowledge sharing, strengthening relationships between UoS and UWI, adding value to research, preventing unintended replication |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Degrees to Save the World: Introduction to Stakeholder Analysis |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Ran a Stakeholder Analysis workshop for the Degrees to Save the World day, to demonstrate how we're preparing our undergraduates with the knowledge and skills to help tackle some of the world's greatest challenges. Feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive. One participant shared: "I never realised that geography was so interesting!" Few participants had heard of Stakeholder Analysis as a method before, but by the end all participants felt confident in applying it to environmental case studies. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Discussion of the sargassum early advisory system on Jamaican television |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Research Officer at the Mona Geoinformatics Institute in Jamaica, Romario Anderson, speaks about the early advisory system that the organisation is working on to forecast the frequency, volume, and likely location where sargassum will be deposited. (Smile Jamaica Morning Show - May 24, 2023). The outcome is increased awareness of the SARTRAC project, the impacts of Sargassum and plans to mitigate it. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://twitter.com/Smilejamtvj/status/1661346844855750659?t=MuHRctj83PHnklGZ0RfNlw&s=09 |
| Description | Discussion on ICP-MS analysis in Southampton with Gavin Foster |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Following this discussion, analysis have been done for (i) sargassum samples harvested in 2021, (ii) mangrove samples, (iii) crops samples, and (iv) samples derived from biomethane potential (BMP) experiments. The results of the analysis of sargassum samples will be included in a manuscript in preparation. The results of the mangrove samples have been included in a published paper (https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2022.932293/full). The results of the analysis of the crop samples will be included in a manuscript in preparation. The results of the analysis related to BMP experiments will be combined with other results obtained for these experiments in a report. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Email correspondence with Bouvier Clement and Jean-Philipppe Marechal (CESAR / BRGM) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | Email correspondence with Bouvier Clement and Jean-Philipppe Marechal (CESAR / BRGM). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Engagement of secondary schools in Western Region, Ghana |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Engagement of secondary schools in Western Region, Ghana Three secondary schools, each composed of three classes, and up to 200 students, were engaged as part of a sargassum citizen science initiative. Half of the engagement consisted of in-classroom activities, revisiting materials and information previously shared, sharing our knowledge about the causes of sargassum, and learning from the students about their experiences of sargassum locally. The other half of the engagement involved introducing the students to their local sargassum monitoring station (a "photo snap point": anyone can use their smartphone to take a photo of sargassum and share it on a free, open access app/website) and training them in how to use it. Each school was given one mobile phone to use for the project; to be able to be part of future project meetings, and to be able to take photos of the sargassum and use them. Local politicians, military, and police also attended some of these events and engaged in discussion about sargassum. Requests about (further) participation or involvement, Plans made for future related activity, Audience reported change in views, opinions or behaviour, requests for further information |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Engagement with a youth climate action group as part of the More than Maps workshops |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | As part of the More than Maps workshops we engaged with a youth climate action group, who involved reference to the workshops and SARTRAC project in their output video. https://vimeo.com/483160046 (see from 1.04.57) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://vimeo.com/483160046 |
| Description | Ghana's Fishing Industry has a Golden Seaweed Problem - How Citizen Science Can Help |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This was an article written for a general public audience that sought to (1) highlight that sargassum seaweed is a challenge faced not only in the Caribbean but also in West Africa, and (2) raise awareness of how citizen science can provide much needed engagement and data to better understand sargassum. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://theconversation.com/ghanas-fishing-industry-has-a-golden-seaweed-problem-how-citizen-science... |
| Description | Ghana's fishing industry has a 'golden seaweed' problem - how citizen science can help (The Conversation) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This report for The Conversation has been tweeted 26 times, and shared on facebook 75 times. The Conversation has a monthly readership in the millions, so we anticipate that this research has been accessed extensively. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://theconversation.com/ghanas-fishing-industry-has-a-golden-seaweed-problem-how-citizen-science... |
| Description | Held More than Maps workshops for a UK based college and a 3-part workshop series for international audiences of early career professionals |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | More than Maps stakeholder analysis workshop hosted for a UK-based college on 12th July 2021, and More than Maps three-part workshop series held on 13-15th July 2021 for international audiences of early career professionals. On 13-15 July 2021, the University of Southampton hosted a three-part online workshop series for early career professionals, covering: 1. An introduction to research theories and frameworks, through examining the importance of evidence-based policy in adapting to environmental change 2. An introduction to remote sensing, through a case study of detecting environmental threats from space 3. An introduction to stakeholder analysis, exploring how we can use social science methods for managing environmental change Participants signed up for the online live sessions from all over the world, including North America, the Caribbean, South America, Africa, Asia and Europe. All three workshops were highly interactive, using a range of methods to support engagement, including: Q&As, quizzes, online whiteboards, polls, and coding on Google Earth Engine. Participant responses to activities during the workshop demonstrated their high levels of engagement and understanding, e.g. most participants managed to complete the remote sensing activities. Participants generally reported increased knowledge on sargassum and the methods being shared, as well as were inspired to learn more about the topics. Participants also commented "This was great! Possibly the sessions could be a little longer since they ran over. I especially liked the use of different interactive methods like Jamboard and the workbooks.", "Really well organised and presented", "The whole event is positive. The speakers was nice and Sien was quick to response", "Very informative and interesting, with a nice variety of information and expertise". Audience reported change in views, opinions or behaviour, Own/ colleagues reported change in views or opinions. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://morethanmaps.sartrac.org/more-than-maps-workshop-for-early-career-professionals/ |
| Description | Hosted social sciences workshop for Southampton University Science & Engineering Festival |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | Hosted social sciences workshop for Soton Science & Engineering Festival, for ~10 members of the public/professionals working on Sargassum. Attendees rates the workshop an average of 4/5 stars generally and reported learning that "influence and interest can be changed" and that "social science is dynamic". |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.sartrac.org/news/more-than-maps-workshop-at-sotsef-2021/ |
| Description | Interdisciplinary Workshops: Remote Sensing with Google Earth Engine and Household Adaptation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A two-part workshop series combining ESRC and non-ESRC funded research to highlight the necessity for interdisciplinary research on coastal change. It combines remote sensing research at the University Southampton and social sciences research on adaptation coastal change. The workshops targets sharing interdisciplinary skills with the general public relating to coastal management/monitoring in England using remote sensing (Google Earth Engine/JavaScript) and social science methods (frameworks to study household adaption). Participants complete the workshops with new skills in coding, using satellite imagery for change detection, using social science methods to investigate household adaptation. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Interview on local news station Television Jamaica (TVJ) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Interview of Mona GeoInformatics Institute (MGI) team on local news station Television Jamaica (TVJ) entitled 'Sargassum is here to stay'. This has has over 1 million views on Youtube. Interview by Krista Campbell on TVJ News on Sargassum inundation in Jamaica and its effects; development of the early advisory system and training of National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) staff in monitoring techiniques for evaluating various aspects of Sargassum inundation such as volume and coverage. The outcome is increased awareness of Sargassum inundation and the early advisory system as well as efforts in capacity building to strengthen Sargassum monitoring. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnBhb0wSdUY |
| Description | Interview with a national newspaper in Jamaica |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Research Officer at the Mona Geoinformatics Institute, Jamaica, Romario Anderson and Darren Fletcher discuss with The Gleaner newspaper the impact of Sargassum on local fishers and how some fishers find Sargassum potentially favourable. The outcome is increased awareness of the SARTRAC project, the impacts of Sargassum and plans to mitigate it. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20230514/sargassum-finds-favour-some-fishers |
| Description | Interview with a national newspaper in Jamaica - May 2023 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Research Officer at the Mona Geoinformatics Institute, Jamaica, Romario Anderson, and Darren Fletcher discuss the emerging impact of Sargassum with The Gleaner newspaper. The outcome is increased awareness of the SARTRAC project, the impacts of Sargassum and plans to mitigate it. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/lead-stories/20230503/new-sargassum-threats-emerging |
| Description | Interviews with Radio Universe, Legon, Ghana |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Sargassum; hazard or opportunity. You and the Environment, Radio Universe, Legon, 16th March & 29th June 2022. Discussed issues on Sargassum, impacts and ongoing research. The purpose was to increase awareness and to share some project outcomes. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Introduction of the SARTRAC Project to the Environmental Protection Agency, Ghana |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Formally introduced the SARTRAC project to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Ghana; to identify avenues to work together on the project and upscaling the outputs of the project to influence policy decisions on managing sargassum in Ghana. EPA happy to associate with the project and supported project activities with field work and taking part in project meetings. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Meeting held with Giles Foody, University of Nottingham. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | Was part of a discussion held with Giles Foody (SASAMS, University of Nottingham). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Meeting held with Patricia Estridge of Seaweed Generation, a start-up company exploring the world of seaweed and its uses |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Met with Patricia Estridge of Seaweed Generation, a start-up company exploring the world of seaweed, growing it, eating it, making things from it, using it to replace practices that damage biodiversity, using it to replace fossil fuels, and using it to sequester carbon. Explored opportunity for joint projects particularly focusing on innovateUK. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Meeting held with University of Greenwich and University of Nottingham teams working on sargassum |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Meeting held with University of Greenwich and University of Nottingham teams working on sargassum. A chance to bring together researchers from UK working on Sargassum to identify complementarity and put everything together to have a strong UK presence in this emerging research field. Outcome were requests about (further) participation or involvement, plans made for future grant proposal to NERC and submission of a NERC highlight topic. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Meeting held with oil companies and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - Ghana |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | We presented our work to the oil companies in their meeting with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The SARTRAC team from Ghana, led by Philip, presented the ongoing work on sargassum severity and the impacts on the fishing value chain. The aim was to showcase the ongoing research and to ask for their support. They showed keen interest and the EPA was tasked to work with the companies to provide some support for research. Requests about (further) participation or involvement and plans made for future related activity. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Meeting held with one with Tatum McConnell, writer with scienceline.org |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Meeting held with Tatum McConnell, writer with scienceline.org who is working on a story about increase in sargassum algae in the Tropical Atlantic and how satellite imagery can contribute to managing it. Drafted a news story on Sargassum monitoring using satellite data. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Meeting held with the Chief Fisher, the Queen Mother and other community leaders at one of the study sites in Ghana (Sanzule). |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Per culture and traditions in Ghana, formal community entry is required which involves meeting community leaders to introduce the project and seek permission. Meeting held with the Chief Fisher, the Queen Mother and other community leaders at one of the study sites in Ghana (Sanzule) to discuss the SARTRAC Project. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Meeting with Abhik Sen from the Commonwealth Secretariat |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Together with Professor Jadu Dash from Southampton University, met Abhik Sen from the Commonwealth Secretariat in February 2021. He expressed an interest in adaptation expertise, especially that focused on young people (>60% of the Commonwealth population is <30 years old). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Meeting with Dr Mike Allen from Plymouth Marine Laboratory/ University of Exeter |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Planning for experiments combining samples obtained from different locations in the Caribbean. Results of these experiments have been published in the paper mentioned later, https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9410/2/1/11. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | http://www.mdpi.com/2673-9410/2/1/11 |
| Description | Meeting with Mike Allen and Amy Pilsbury from PhycoMExUK to learn more about their work to turn seaweed into fertilisers. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Meeting held in February 2021 with Mike Allen and Amy Pilsbury from PhycoMExUK, together with Professor Emma Tompkins (University of Southampton) and Dr Thierry Tonon (University of York), to learn more about their work to turn seaweed into fertilisers. The PhycoMExUK vision is on turning seaweed, such as Sargassum, into fertilisers to boost Mexico's agricultural industry. Article detailing more information published on SARTRAC website (https://www.sartrac.org/news/title-of-new-article). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.sartrac.org/news/title-of-new-article |
| Description | Meeting with Prof. Emeritus Robin Mahon and Dr. Shelly-Ann Cox of CERMES. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | Members of the team met with Prof. Emeritus Robin Mahon and Dr. Shelly-Ann Cox of CERMES. Prof. Mahon is one of the architects of the CLME projects and actively involved in oceans governance. Dr. Cox works on several Sargassum initiatives at CERMES. As a result of the meeting, a dropbox was created to share information that will ultimately lead to the preparation of a paper in Sargassum governance in the Caribbean. The paper analysed sargassum management policies. It revealed that a nascent polycentric system has generated significant cooperation in policy development and application across the region. However, there remain national capacity deficits to engage in this form of governance and to implement agreed actions. We conclude that advocates of a polycentric climate governance regime need to consider how capacity shapes participation, to the advantage of the largest and strongest. Polycentric governance can be useful for solving disparate cross-border environmental problems, but it also imposes a cost on the smallest that has thus far been unacknowledged and undertheorized. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08920753.2022.2078172 |
| Description | Meeting with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Met with Luc Hardley from the external media team, UNDP, on sargassum. Discussion was held re the possibility of being part of a documentary on sargassum which Luc Hardley was producing. Due to COVID, this didn't happen. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | More than Maps meetings as part of the British Council and Australian Government funded Seasons project to plan activities and workshops |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | More Than Maps meetings with: COP26 team (University of Southampton, University of the West Indies Mona Geoinformatics Institute (MGI), University of Ghana, University of Western Australia), British Council (Camilla Rous), and STEM Ambassador Hub Central South England (communicating about running More Than Maps workshops under STEM umbrella). Meetings as part of the British Council and Australian Government funded Seasons project to plan activities and workshops. Plans made for future related activity. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | More than Maps public engagement/ capacity building meeting with British Council re other academic projects |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | More than Maps public engagement/capacity building meeting with British Council other academic projects (Camilla Rouse, Alan Goddard and Debbie Toomeoks from Aston University, and John Tarlton from Bristol University) on 15 July, 22 July, and 28 July. Meetings as part of the British Council and Australian Government funded Seasons project to plan activities and workshops. Plans made for future related activity. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | More than Maps public engagement/ capacity building meeting with COP26 team (University of Southampton, University of the West Indies Mona Geoinformatics Institute (MGI), University of Ghana, University of Western Australia) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | More than Maps public engagement/ capacity building meeting with COP26 team (University of Southampton, University of the West Indies Mona Geoinformatics Institute (MGI), University of Ghana, University of Western Australia) on 28 July 2021. Meetings as part of the British Council and Australian Government funded Seasons project to plan activities and workshops. Plans made for future related activity. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | More than Maps public engagement/ capacity building meetings |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | More than Maps public engagement/capacity building meetings with: (1) COP26 team (University of Southampton, University of the West Indies Mona Geoinformatics Institute (MGI), University of Ghana, University of Western Australia) on 30 June 2021, (2) British Council (Camilla Rous) on 15 June 2021, and (3) University of Southampton Widening Participation/ Public Engagement officer Jess Spurrell on 28 June 2021. Meetings held as part of the British Council and Australian Government funded Seasons project to plan activities and workshops. Plans made for future related activity, |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | More than Maps school outreach |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | More than Maps is a public engagement initiative, aiming to share replicable and open-access skills in mapping and social science analysis, to empower students and young professionals in research supporting climate change adaptation. 10 events have been run so far aimed at A level students, UG students and young researchers to share ideas about how to use social science and remote sensing to address climate adaptation, specifically how to manage sargassum. The workshops have fun online in Jamaica, Ghana and the Uk and have all been extremely well received, with post workshop evaluations showing that attendees take away significant learning from the events. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021,2022 |
| URL | https://morethanmaps.sartrac.org/ |
| Description | More than Maps school outreach |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | November 2020, three workshops, 4.5 hours, 30 A level students, at a workshop on "Managing Seaweed through More than Maps" covering #climatechange #remotesensing, #Sargassum, #EarthEngine, #mapping, sharing social science methods and work from @SARTRAC1 and @UoSGeogEnv. The workshops covered: developing coding skills using remotely sensed data, and the role for social science methods in climate adaptation. Using seaweed management as a unique example, the researchers aim to learn from the students what skills are useful in ground-level climate change adaptation and how skills are best transferred. The students gain coding in basic Java script and data analysis skills, with possible future support for their EPQ. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/more-than-maps-developing-social-science-skills-for-climate-change-is... |
| Description | More than Maps workshops held for SARTRAC partners and invited guests |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | More than Maps workshops held for ACM2 SARTRAC partners and invited guests on 24 June 2021. Two methods workshops were run, one on Stakeholder Analysis and one on Google Earth Engine, in the context of studying sargassum. The audience of ~30 professionals from across the Tropical Atlantic reported increased confidence using both methods and generally thought they would share what they had learned and wanted to learn more about the topics. One participant commented on the Google Earth Engine workshop that it was a "really good experience - just takes a bit of getting used to some finer points - remote sensing demystified!" Audience reported change in views, opinions or behaviour, Own/ colleagues reported change in views or opinions, |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.sartrac.org/news/acm2-more-than-maps/ |
| Description | Part of the 'story maps' published on CERMES sargassum webpage |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Broadly sharing project outcomes to a wide audience - building capacity through knowledge and information. Increased public interest and understanding of work. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.cavehill.uwi.edu/cermes/projects/sargassum/story-maps.aspx |
| Description | Participated in a workshop held on West Africa coastal areas vulnerability, adaptation and resilience in a changing climate - November 2021 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Participated in a workshop on West African coastal areas vulnerability, adaptation and resilience in a changing climate (WACA-VAR). 22-26th November 2021, Cape Coast, Ghana. (Co-presentation and discussion). Researchers across West Africa and France shared their ongoing research along the West African coast. Two of our colleagues in Ghana also presented work on Sargassum under the SARTRAC project. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Participation in UK National Earth Observation Conference 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | A 5 minute presentation given at the UK National Earth Observation Conference (September 2022) on estimating the biochemical properties of sargassum using ground-based and airborne measurements. Conference poster also produced. The conference had more than 400 attendees. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://pure.york.ac.uk/portal/en/publications/spectral-characterisation-of-sargassum-across-the-tro... |
| Description | Participation in an episode of The Sargassum Podcast - July 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Sargassum pod E50 The voices of the invisible Sargassum impacts fishing communities w Bethia Thomas. The aim of this podcast was to inform persons on the successful use of the participatory video process, as a means for successfully communicating vulnerability to pelagic sargassum influxes, by community members. Outcomes of the activity include requests about (further) participation or involvement, plans made for future related activity, and audience reported change in views, opinions or behavior. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xL0QGKzQPms |
| Description | Presentation and participation in "SARTRAC SCIENTIFIC SARGASSUM SERIES 4 - Pelagic Sargassum Science and Innovation for Entrepreneurship " |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Online webinar to inform audience on the latest research on pelagic sargassum and how this could inform valorisation pathways. In addition, the aim was to hear from people interested in valorising pelagic sargassum biomass in different parts of the Caribbean and of West Africa. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | http://www.mdpi.com/2673-9410/2/1/11 |
| Description | Presented the SARTRAC Project during a UNEP Webinar series on Sargassum. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Joana Akrofi from UNEP contacted us to present the SARTRAC Project during their Webinar series on Sargassum. i.e. Webinar 3: Sargassum challenges, responses, and collaboration in West Africa. The focus of this webinar was on the West Africa region, where Sargassum is becoming a regional phenomenon, negatively impacting aquatic resources, fisheries, waterway, and shorelines. This webinar featured leading experts from affected countries in the region (Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo) local and international organizations working on marine and coastal biodiversity management. Most significant outcomes are the sharing of information, building knowledge on the phenomenon, promoting best practice and developing ocean governance arrangement in combating the Sargassum phenomenon in West Africa. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | http://www.unep.org/events/webinar/sargassum-challenges-responses-and-collaboration-west-africa |
| Description | Professor Kwasi Appeaning Addo, University of Ghana, invited to participate in a Sargassum podcast |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | The Sargassum Podcast provides listeners with an in-depth look into how sargassum impacts local communities, coastal biomes, and the world at large - and how we can harvest it to build a diversified blue economy. Requests about (further) participation or involvement was the outcome. The podcast can be listened to on: https://play.anghami.com/episode/1028614901 Listen to the episode to hear about: Introduction (3:10) What sargassum is to Professor Kwasi (4:10) Sargassum in Ghana (5:42) Health impacts of the sargassum in Ghana (9:46) SARTRAC (10:45) Professor Kwasi's role in SARTRAC (13:46) Why a Sargassum Network is needed (16:50) Setting up a Sargassum Network (22:09) Climate change in Ghana (24:50) Projects to mitigate the effects of climate change in Ghana (29:16) Debrief (34:10) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://play.anghami.com/episode/1028614901 |
| Description | Reached out to establish dialogue with various government bodies across the Caribbean region to ask questions about their sargassum management policies |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | I have been reaching out through email to various government bodies across the Caribbean region to ask questions about their sargassum management policies, predominantly relating to the existence, in-development status and open-access nature of their policies. I have continued reaching out through email to various government bodies across the Caribbean region to ask questions about their sargassum management policies, predominantly relating to the existence, in-development status and open-access nature of their policies. Handed on details of Ms Gilders to Lucy Graves, SARTRAC Project Support Officer as a SARTRAC contact: Policy Advisory Nature and Environment in the Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment & Infrastructure (VROMI) on Sint Maarten. Handed on contact details of Darwin Project being led by CANARI to Lucy Graves. Received responses from multiple individuals, who shared their sargassum policies or directed me to where these could be obtained. The policy documents formed part of a paper on adaptation to emergent threats. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | SARTRAC Project introduction to local community members in Sanzule, Ghana |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Did a community entry in one of the study sites, Sanzule, Ghana. Met the queen mother of the community, her elders, the chief fisherman, and some community members. This community entry activity involved introducing the project to the queen mother and her elder, soliciting the community support for the project, and officially seeking their permission to enter the community and undertake the research work. Audience reported change in views about sargassum. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | SARTRAC work presented at the 8th European Phycological Congress, Brest |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | Dr Thierry Tonon (University of York) and Dr Sien van der Plank (University of Southampton) travelled to the 8th European Phycological Congress in Brest, France, in August 2023. Dr Thierry Tonon was able to attend the entire conference and presented his work on "Pelagic Sargassum events in Jamaica: provenance, morphotype abundance, and biomass composition" on Monday 21st August. He summarised some of the results obtained by the SARTRAC team and published recently. The congress was an excellent opportunity to connect with other researchers interested in pelagic sargassum and based in France, Germany, and Senegal. Sien attended the "Exchange around drifting Sargassum species: fundamental and applied research" workshop hosted by Valérie Stiger-Pouvreau on Wednesday 23rd August, which proved a great opportunity for a diversity of researchers studying sargassum or other transferable topics to update each other and discuss these seaweeds. Whilst the SargSNAP! / CoastSnap work was quite distinct from the other ongoing research, the concept of citizen science environmental monitoring for sargassums studies was very well received. On Friday 25th August, Sien presented "Developing citizen science monitoring capacity for adaptation to brown seaweed influxes" on behalf of the huge community who made this possible. Sien shared the initial results of analysis of the installation of the coastal monitoring points in Esiama, Beyin and Sanzule in Ghana's Western Region, and of the adult and child focus group data to understand people's perceptions and planned use of the points. There were useful audience questions regarding translation and language accessibility, both in Ghana and when expanding to non-English speaking locations, and how to support long-term citizen science relationships with communities. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | SarTRAC FIF funds partially supported, and were fully acknowledged in two presentations given at the recent Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute special session on Sargassum |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | SarTRAC FIF funds partially supported, and were fully acknowledged in two presentations given at the recent Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute special session on Sargassum. Presentations: Corbin, M., and H.A. Oxenford. Answering the Golden Question: How fast does pelagic sargassum grow in the Tropical Atlantic? 75th Annual Meeting of the Gulf & Caribbean Fisheries Institute, 7-11 November, 2022 Small, M., K. Payne, H.A. Oxenford, D. Johnson. The complexities of validating sargassum forecasts. 75th Annual Meeting of the Gulf & Caribbean Fisheries Institute, 7-11 November, 2022. Pdf copies of the presentations have been sent by email. A recording of the presentations is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8P1Y9ztKv78 The intended purpose was information sharing to a broad audience at international conference. Capacity building of presenting students. Two oral presentations: • Corbin, M., and H.A. Oxenford. Answering the Golden Question: How fast does pelagic sargassum grow in the Tropical Atlantic? 75th Annual Meeting of the Gulf & Caribbean Fisheries Institute, 7-11 November, 2022 • Small, M., K. Payne, H.A. Oxenford, D. Johnson. The complexities of validating sargassum forecasts. 75th Annual Meeting of the Gulf & Caribbean Fisheries Institute, 7-11 November, 2022 Extended abstracts now in press in Proceedings of the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute 75. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8P1Y9ztKv78 |
| Description | Sargassum Golden Tides, a global problem - online conference 26 May 2021 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | "Sargassum Golden Tides, a global problem" 26th May 2021, online conference organised by John Milledge, and funded by Algae-UK, BBNet and EBNet. Approximately 100 attendees from academia, policy and the private sector. Since the event, we have been contacted by the United Nations Office for Public Engagement; four private companies, and two other research teams. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.sartrac.org/news/sartrac-at-sargassum-golden-tides-a-global-problem-conference/ |
| Description | Sargassum interview with AK Walters for National Geographic Scholar, Oct 2021 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Sargassum interview by member of SARTRAC team in Jamaica, Romario Anderson, with AK Walters for National Geographic Scholar, Oct 2021. The end publication was a story map, "Sargassum along Jamaica's Coastline, a not so simple story". The outcome improved awareness and insight for the public on Sargassum inundation in Jamaica and its effects This activity raised awareness on Sargassum inundation in Jamaica and assisted one student in completing a successful internship which culminated in the creation of the story map. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/9894009e71384704a4a0d4f3694f0a03 |
| Description | School of Geography and Environmental Science Open Day at University of Southampton |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Ran a workshop / seminar on the application of stakeholder analysis to environmental challenges for ~30 prospective undergraduate students. The case study of sargassum was used to explain and practice stakeholder analysis with the audience. The audience reported knowing more on the subject of sargassum and feeling confident to apply stakeholder analysis after the session. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Shared information on SARTRAC at the Wavelength Conference, University of Southampton, June 2023 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Presentation on detecting sargassum using satellite data. Outcome - engagement with audience and Geoff Smith (SASAMS project). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Stakeholder Webinar on Sea Weeds (Sargassum) held to deliberate on the progress made in addressing Sargassum knowledge gaps in West Africa |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | The University of Ghana and the EPA Ghana jointly organised a Stakeholder Webinar on sargassum on 21 June 2022, to deliberate on the progress made in addressing Sargassum knowledge gaps in West Africa. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://iess.ug.edu.gh/news-events/stakeholder-webinar-sargassum |
| Description | Stinky beach-invading seaweed predicted to spread north |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The press in Ghana picked up the sargassum story and published in their own media. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://newsghana.com.gh/stinky-beach-invading-seaweed-predicted-to-spread-north/ |
| Description | Training of Trainers Workshop on improving management of sargassum influxes in Anguilla |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | A CANARI-CERMES 'Training of Trainers Workshop on Improving management of sargassum influxes in Anguilla' held in The Valley, Anguilla, 4-5 May 2023. This was an activity in the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI) Darwin Plus project entitled: Sustainable sargassum management in Anguilla, British Virgin Islands and Montserrat. 25 persons attended the 2 day meeting. 'Reach' was much larger as it was featured by local media and attendees were representatives who took the training back to their respective 'communities'. The primary audiences were Media (as a channel to wider audiences), General Public (church, driver, caterer), Industry/ Business (tourism association, fishers association, SCUBA dive shop), Government (Environmental Ministry, Marine Parks and Fisheries Division, Disaster / Emergency Division, Sargassum Management Unit, Tourism Ministry, Finance Minstry), NGO - national trust. Training of Trainers workshop on PRAMS (participatory research and monitoring sargassum) and SAMS (Sargassum Adaptive Management Strategy) to improve sargassum management, inclusive of uses and rehabilitation of damage resulting from early attempts to manage sargassum. The most significant outcomes were greatly increasing general knowledge about sargassum and the process of adaptive management, and tools and resources available. Many requests for further information and ongoing support. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | WP1 team members introduced to USM group working on sargassum |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Originally it was email introductions, then ZOOM calls and ended up with full collaboration and co-authorship. It was important to connect two oceanography science teams both working of sargassum in the tropical Atlantic to add value rather than compete or replicate work done. Shared information and ideas to improve design of forecasting tools, and ocean tracker designs. Co-authored peer-reviewed manuscript. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.914501 |
| Description | Webinar organised on Sargassum challenges and management in the Gulf of Guinea |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | A webinar on networking as the key to management of sargassum in the Gulf of Guinea was organised jointly by the Ghana SARTRAC team at the University of Ghana (UG) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Ghana on 2nd September 2021. The focus of the webinar was on 'networking as the key to management of sargassum in the Gulf of Guinea'. Plans were made for future related activity and support was given to the idea of setting up the Gulf of Guinea Sargassum Network |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.sartrac.org/news/webinar-on-sargassum-challenges-and-management-in-the-gulf-of-guinea-ne... |
| Description | Workshop conducted for fisheries officers and scientists across the Caribbean on; "Developing Sargassum Products for Climate Resilience in the Caribbean" Training & Trialing the Collection, Processing and Shipping of Sargassum. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Training workshop was organized and hosted by the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) as part of their project with Plant & Food Research Inc. Prepared and delivered training material. The purpose was to train fisheries officers and coastal sector managers the Caribbean to identify, collect and process pelagic sargassum as part of a larger project titled; "Developing Sargassum Products for Climate Resilience in the Caribbean" Training & Trialing the Collection, Processing and Shipping of Sargassum. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Workshop for secondary school teachers and local community members in Western Region, Ghana |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | A workshop was led by the University of Southampton and University of Ghana SARTRAC members on sargassum lessons of secondary school teachers, and the installation and usage of local sargassum monitoring stations. The workshop included: sharing and receiving feedback on the sargassum teaching materials, training on the usage of the monitoring stations, and initial feedback on remote sensing training materials for schools. Since the workshop was run, nearly daily photos have been uploaded to an open access platform from the sargassum monitoring station. The secondary school teachers will also be joining a consortium conference in March 2023 in Southampton. Part of the preparatory work for this workshop was also picked up by an online news outlet in Ghana. Outcomes - Requests about (further) participation or involvement, Plans made for future related activity, Audience reported change in views, opinions or behaviour, Requests for further information. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | virtual lecture (COESSING 2023) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Invited virtual lecture, 'Forecasting and Managing Sargassum across the tropical Atlantic', to the 2023 edition of the Coastal Ocean Environment Summer School in Ghana (COESSING). The primary audience was Undergrad Students, Postgrad Students and Early Career Professionals - all from West Africa. Questions from audience, five answered at length online after the lecture; in general, raised awareness of sargassum as a regional-local environmental challenge for West Africa. COESSING 2023 website: https://coessing.org/2023-school/ [see Online Schedule] |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | http://coessing.org/2023-school |